As Master of Ceremonies, Clint Hawes likes to bring children onto the stage for dancing contests, or in this case, to ask them smart-assed questions – like which of identical twins Maya and Jada Das is better looking. (Richard McGuire file photo)

Expect a bit of nostalgia when the Osoyoos Street Dances return for their 32nd year, says MC and organizer Clint Hawes.

The dates of the two popular dances are July 14 and Aug. 11 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Gyro Park Bandshell.

This year marks the sixth that Hawes has been master of ceremonies for the dances after the Sologuk family and Osoyoos Home Hardware gave them up after running them for 26 years.

The first three years, Hawes worked with the Osoyoos Seniors Centre to put them on in the parking lot next to the museum and seniors centre. This will be the third year Hawes has run them without the seniors.

The family event is still known as a “street dance” even though it hasn’t been held on a street since the Sologuks closed off a block of 85th Street next to Home Hardware.

This will be the third year since the dance moved to the grass and bandshell of Gyro Park, abandoning pavement altogether.

“We’re going to bring back some old nostalgia ideas,” said Hawes. “We’re still doing limbo and hula hoops, and we’re going to do some skipping rope like they did in those days.”

Some ideas haven’t yet taken shape.

For the past couple of years, Hawes has dreamed of a dance off between the Osoyoos RCMP and the firefighters, ever since Constable Sheldon Herman wowed the audience with his dance moves to Gangnam Style in 2016.

But summer is a very busy time for the RCMP and so far, Hawes hasn’t been able to arrange such a dance off.

Hawes delights in bringing young children onto the stage to dance, often having them compete for gift cards and merchandise generously donated by local businesses.

“The merchants have been fantastic again,” said Hawes. “You wouldn’t believe it. I’m really impressed how every year if you hit them up, they just bend over backwards to help you.”

Hawes tries new twists each year to bring an element of novelty. Last year he brought bolo bats, a popular toy from the 1930s to 1960s in which a ball is tethered to a wooden paddle. It caused some confusion for participants born more recently and Hawes said they won’t be back this year.

Most dances, he said, draw at least 250 people and the one with Constable Herman drew about 400.

Tom Shields, former Osoyoos mayor, announcer and broadcaster, will also be helping this year, said Hawes.

The music this year will have a nostalgia theme with a mix of danceable songs ranging from disco to older songs from the 1950s and 1960s, as well as some newer material.

“We’ll have to play some country because we had about six eight-year-olds last year come up and say, ‘have you got any country?’” said Hawes. “It blew me away when they said that.”

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times